Description

Description:: Over 100 years ago Max Abraham and Hermann Minkowski proposed rival theoretical expressions for the momentum of light in a medium. Since then a large number of theoretical and experimental studies have been conducted which have variously supported one or the other theory. The subject remains controversial to this day, but the advent of ultracold atoms allows for simple and clean measurements that may lead to greater clarity. I will discuss this subject from the perspective of ultracold atoms and point out some unexpected connections to seemingly different physics.